


Just Below the Surface

by luvtoluvya



Category: The Young and the Restless
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-10
Updated: 2018-10-13
Packaged: 2019-07-10 13:35:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15950411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luvtoluvya/pseuds/luvtoluvya
Summary: "Come away with me," he beckons. "You, me, and 5 days relaxing along the Caribbean Sea."  So she decides to take him up on his offer.  Who could say no to an all-expense paid vacation? Especially when one needed to clear their mind and mend a broken heart.





	1. Chapter 1

“I think I could get use to this,” she declares as she lays back in her floating cabana lounger.  
She’s never had the opportunity to be this carefree before. Nor has she ever seen cerulean waters so clear or felt sand so soft like a pink fleece.  
“It sounds like you’re actually enjoying yourself,” she hears a familiar male voice behind her.  
She pushes her sunglasses to the top of her head and props herself up. Nearing her side is her companion on this weeklong stay. He’s looking sun kissed and his eyes are sparkling like the water that surrounds them.  
“What are you drinking?” she eyes the small coconut with a straw sticking out of it in his left palm.  
“It’s called Sky Juice,” he explains. “It’s a local drink that’s like to go to when you want to sip on something strong. Try a sip.”  
Mariah reluctantly tastes the creamy concoction and makes a face of dissatisfaction.  
“A little too much gin for me,” she says pushing the cup away.  
His uses he free arm to hoist himself out of the water and onto the cabana with her.  
“Hey,” she gently shoves him. “There’s barely room for one up here. Let alone two!”  
“Well then we’ll have to sit really close,” he says with a teasing gleam in his eye.  
At least she thinks it’s a gleam in his eyes. It’s hard to read him sometimes. And lately he’s been staring at her with nothing but brooding eyes. She’s missed his sly smiles and witty commentary.  
“I have to admit this trip was one of your better ideas. We’ve only been here for one day but I’m already feeling better than I have in weeks. I didn’t realize how much I needed to get away from Genoa City until now.”  
“I’ve been here before but on family vacations when I was a kid and then as a teen. I’m more excited to explore as an adult. I signed us up for a full day of activities,” he informs her.  
“What happened to just lounging around on the beach? I’m perfectly fine laying around doing nothing.”  
“Which you can do at home,” Kyle insists. “Our scuba diving lesson is in about half an hour so you should get moving.”  
“Scuba diving? Why didn’t you ask me if I wanted to do something like that?”  
“Give you the chance to decline? Not a chance!” Kyle laughs. “You don’t get to wriggle your way out of this one.”  
“And you said activities as in plural? So what other things did you sign me up for behind my back?”  
“You’ll find out soon enough. You’re gonna love scuba diving. I got my certification a few years back and there’s nothing like it. Swimming through a reef is like exploring a new world. You never know what you’ll see.”

Forty-five minutes and a fresh application of sunscreen later Mariah finds herself sitting next to Kyle on a glass bottom boat staring absently at the view of the reef as they glide through the water.  
“Did you even hear what I said?” Kyle snaps her out of her reverie.  
“I zoned out when you mentioned Summer. You’re supposed to be forgetting about the snowflake on this trip. Remember our rule? No exes!” Mariah reminds him.  
“You’re right. We should both be trying to move on. Look at her,” he nods in the direction of the young woman sitting in the corner of the boat.  
She’s pretty with a complexion rich like deep honey and a mass of light brown curls that compliment it perfectly.  
“Cute in a beauty queen type of way. Not really my type though,” Mariah says taking her in.  
“I’m talking about for me. Be my wing woman?” Kyle asks.  
“I thought you didn’t need my help landing a date?”  
“Normally I wouldn’t but these foreign girls are different,” Kyle explains. “Push too hard and they think you’re just some foreigner interested in sex tourism.”  
“Because you aren’t interested in sex with her at all,” Mariah says sarcastically.  
“I like to get to know a woman’s mind first too sometimes. A beauty with brains can be a challenge. And if you want to keep me away from Summer like you vowed this is your best option.”  
Mariah stands and makes her way to the opposite end up the boat plopping down right next to the object of Kyle’s affections.  
“Hey, do you have an extra ponytail?” she asks the woman. “My hair gets like everywhere and I forgot mine.”  
“Sure,” she replies pulling one off her wrist and handing it to her.  
“Thanks! My name is Mariah. What’s your name?”  
“Hailey,” she replies in a sing-song accent.  
Mariah puts on her best interviewer voice. “Are you a beginner at this whole diving thing too?”  
“Not my first time diving but my first time diving in the Bahamas. I’m here on holiday for a friend’s wedding,” she reveals. I’ve been certified in scuba diving for some time. I grew up on an island so it was something fun and exciting to do.”  
“Oh, really! I just assumed you were a local. I’m not too familiar with different accents. I’m on vacation too obviously. Tagged along with a good friend of mine. He’s used to diving and he wanted me to experience something new.”  
“That man over there is the friend you came with?” she asks.  
“Yes, that’s my friend Kyle. I don’t know if you’ve ever heard the name Jabot Cosmetics.”  
“I have! They’re my go to brand for sunscreen, ” she says reaching into her backpack and pulling out a can of Birthday Suit spray on sunscreen.  
“His family runs Jabot. Kyle was a key player in the marketing of that sunscreen,” Mariah explains.  
“I work in freelance marketing so I try to stay away from too many advertisements outside of work. I bought this sunscreen because a friend recommended it. I like it because it’s very lightweight and doesn’t leave a white cast on your skin.”  
“You have such an eloquent way of speaking. You must have done beauty pageants or something,” Mariah compliments hers.  
“Thank you. I did plenty of local pageants on my island and wanted to do some of the international level until I received a scholarship to study International Business in New York City. The opportunity was too good to pass up.”  
“You know my friend Kyle also lived in New York for a while. You two have so much in common.”  
“Maybe he and I can trade stories.”  
“I'm sure you could. It’s so different going from a smaller town to big city living. I’m kind of going through the opposite right now. I moved from Los Angeles to Genoa City in Wisconsin and it was an adjustment.”  
The boat stops and their instructor Kieran starts speaking again and everyone turns their attention to him. He’s fairly young like the rest of them. Late 20s at best and dark and handsome enough to be a model.  
“James Bond has defeated many adversaries in these wrecks below. At only 45 feet deep these are perfect for beginners and insure more time at the bottom admiring the beautiful marine life. And for those of you with underwater cameras the perfect place to get enviable footage and pictures,” he explains.  
“James Bond is like my favorite hero of all time.” Kyle comments. “My favorite Bond movie, Thunderball was filmed in the Bahamas too. If we have enough time I’ll take you diving where they filmed some of those scenes. Thunderball Grotto is pretty cool.”  
“On a day like today the water is so clear you can see the Tears of Allah from the surface,” Kieran points out.  
Beauty Queen is already heading into the water like the seasoned pro she is. Mariah on the other hand still has her reservations.  
“There aren’t like sharks in this water, are there?” Mariah asks nervously while peering into the mysterious waters below.  
“Cold feet?” Kyle smirks. “Don’t chicken out on me now. It’ll be my duty to never let you live it down. What would everyone back home think about big bad Mariah then?”  
“See when you asked me to come on this trip I expected we’d be on a boat at some point but I figured it would be your family’s superyacht.”  
“But aren’t you always reminding me of how privileged I am and how I need to relate more to others?” he points out.  
“Fine,” she lets out a whine of defeat before taking the plunge into the shallow water.  
Diving in after her Kyle makes a big splash.  
“So you seemed to be putting those hosting skills to good use,” Kyle teases. “Find out anything good?”  
“She’s not a local. She’s here for a friend’s wedding and decided to make a vacation of it. She’s been scuba certified for a couple of years. Went to school in New York and has a business degree.”  
“Interesting,” Kyle notes. “If I’m not mistaken I saw a tube of Birthday Suit in her hand earlier.”  
“It’s her staple sunscreen,” Mariah rolls her eyes.  
“So then we already know she has good taste. All I need to do is impress her.”  
Next thing Mariah knows she’s following Kyle to the Little Mermaid’s playground at the bottom of the ocean. Coral and sponges in all colors adorn the wrecks while a school of yellow and black fish swim through. Kyle glides through the water like a dolphin even stopping to swim alongside a sea turtle. While Mariah has about as much grace as a guppy just starting out.  



	2. Chapter 2

“Bahama Mamas for everyone!” Kyle gleefully shouts as the bartender places red fruity concoctions in front of them. 

He’s wearing a plain white tee that shows off his muscular arms.

After their dive Kyle decided to invite Hailey and her friend back to the bar with them for drinks. So after a quick change they’re sitting at a wooden table pained in a sea blue shade in a bar not far from the hotel waiting for their food.

“Okay so scuba diving wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” Mariah admits, “It’s even a good story to tell my viewers when the show returns. I can’t wait to share my vacation photos.”

Mariah’s red hair is wavy and cascading her shoulders and she’s wearing a green strapless sundress that compliments the green flecks in her eyes.

“It’s not scary!” Hailey tells her. “The first few time ya heart might pound because you don’t know what to expect but once you do it once ya good.”

“Hailey is very adventurous,” her friend seated next to her chimes in. “She loves to do all those crazy things. She had us flying over the island on a seaplane tour.”

“My friend, Shelly didn’t expect to be so active. She thought we would just swim all day and party all night. But I wanted to see the islands. After all we’re only here for 4 more days. Have to make the most of it.”

“We’re here for a wedding but we’re not close enough to the bride to be bridesmaids and have to run around behind her all day,” Shelly explains tossing a few of her twisty curly locs over her shoulder.

“Then you’re free to go clubbing with us tonight.” Kyle says.

“Ya can’t come Bahamas and not try conch salad, conch fritters, and conch pistol,” their server says. “Now they say the pistol is an aphrodisiac. It’s supposed to be like natural Viagra. Me ain’t know how true it is but the women in Bahamas always seem satisfied.”

“Viagra, huh. Well don’t pass that my way.” Mariah teases. 

“Oh, come on Mariah ! Have a little fun!” Kyle urges.

“We’ll all do it together!” Shelly offers.

Everyone holds the slimy, slippery, clear, wormlike substance up in the air.

“One, two, three!” Mariah says before letting it slide down her throat.

Everyone erupts into giggles.

“Well, that was interesting!” Mariah notes.

“Conch pistol just tastes like the sea to me,” Hailey admits. “Now conch salad is amazing!”

“Do yuh feel a little fire in yuh belly?” Shelly nudges Kyle.

“I do but I’m not sure if it’s the pistol or the alcohol,” Kyle says with a laugh.

Hailey hears a song she clearly loves as she starts moving in her seat to the beat. She soon gets up and is pulling her friend out to the dancefloor with her. The two women are moving their waists in time to the rhythm. 

“So this is going well,” Kyle leans closer to Mariah to talk.

“I’m actually having a lot of fun,” Mariah admits. “At home I’m always worrying about someone else that I never really take time for myself. Sometimes I need to get out and do things for me.”

“Which is what I keep telling you. Forget about whatever is going on in Genoa City and live in the moment.”

“Well for once I agree with you,” Mariah says taking a swig of her cocktail.

“And I think I just might score before this vacation is over.”

“Is that all you think about? Don’t you ever want to find real love? You jump from relationship to relationship until they blur into meaningless hookups.”

“And you expect every new person you date to be the love of your life. That’s unrealistic,” Kyle points out. 

“So you just have no expectations anymore.”

“It’s better than being disappointed.”

"Snowflake wasn't the one for you. But that doesn't mean you need to give up entirely on making a connection with someone."

Their table mates return from the dancefloor right as the food arrives.

“Right on time,” their friendly server says. “Good foods and vibes today.”

He places a colorful salad in front of Kyle that contains a medley of limes, oranges, mango, pineapple, tomatoes, apples, peppers, and hefty pieces of conch.

“What did you get?” Kyle peers over at Mariah’s plate to see crispy golden brown balls with a small bowl of dipping sauce.

“Fritters with calypso sauce. We don’t have all this amazing food in boring old Wisconsin,” Mariah explains to their table mates.

“What’s the popular dish in Wisconsin?” Hailey asks.

“Cheese. They make these friend cheese curds that are really good. And cheddar beer soup.”

“Cheese is about all they have going for them. And of course Jabot headquarters other than that it’s kind of a boring ass state. But it’s home and my family is there. I wouldn’t give them up for anything, “ Mariah states sentimentally. 

“I prefer the hustle and bustle of NYC. In New York there’s people from all over the world in one place combining cultures. Lots of food, music, and entertainment so it’s never a dull day. And there’s this drive and need to succeed I haven’t seen anywhere else,” Kyle describes.

“New York was very different,” Hailey agrees. “Coming from a small island I was not ready.”

“I moved around a lot as a kid with my mom. Chicago, Toronto, Genoa City, New York,” Kyle lists. “Once you move around a lot you don’t really get attached anywhere.”

“So you don’t like setting down roots then?” Hailey asks.

“Well it would take a lot to keep me settled in one place for long. Who knows maybe I’ll meet someone who makes it worth settling down,” Kyle responds staring at her with sparkling eyes.

“Maybe that right woman is closer than you think,” her friend Shelly adds.

“Wooh! This is my jam,” Hailey jumps out of her seat and starts to move to the beat and mouth the words.

“No, I’m not much of a dancer,” Kyle waives her away as she grabs his hands.

“It’ll be fun,” she insists pulling him on the dancefloor.

“I really lack rhythm. Like really badly. It’s not a pretty sight,” he lets her know.

“Just move to the music,” she whispers guiding him in time with her own body. 

He places his hands on her hips to keep steady and in time.


End file.
